The American Heart Association's annual meeting included good and bad news on cholesterol levels among American adults.
Levels of bad, or LDL, cholesterol have fallen since 1980. In that same time, though, the levels of harmful triglycerides have risen nearly fivefold.
Jerome D. Cohen, MD, a researcher from St. Louis University who presented the findings, said lower LDL levels likely reflects Americans' increased awareness of the dangers of high-fat diets. The rising triglyceride levels reflect the growing prevalence of obesity.
Levels of bad, or LDL, cholesterol have fallen since 1980. In that same time, though, the levels of harmful triglycerides have risen nearly fivefold.
Jerome D. Cohen, MD, a researcher from St. Louis University who presented the findings, said lower LDL levels likely reflects Americans' increased awareness of the dangers of high-fat diets. The rising triglyceride levels reflect the growing prevalence of obesity.
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